Manuka honey comes specifically from bees foraging on the manuka shrub native to New Zealand and southeast Australia, traditionally used in Māori medicine for wounds and general health. Its modern scientific distinction emerged in 2008, when researchers identified methylglyoxal (MGO) as manuka honey's unique antibacterial compound.
This discovery launched substantial modern clinical research into manuka honey's wound-healing applications, with results that differ meaningfully depending on the specific wound type.
Manuka honey's evidence for wound care genuinely varies by wound type. A comprehensive systematic review found it "could not be conclusively determined that honey is superior to conventional treatments for many types of wounds, except for partial-thickness burns." For venous leg ulcers specifically, a notable randomized trial found honey-impregnated dressings "did not significantly improve venous ulcer healing" compared to usual care.
A genuinely important safety-relevant nuance has emerged in more recent research: methylglyoxal, manuka's key antibacterial compound, is also a precursor to advanced glycation end-products that can theoretically impair wound healing in diabetic patients specifically — researchers have explicitly flagged this as needing dedicated RCTs in diabetic wound populations. Given solid evidence for burns, a real negative trial for venous ulcers, and a genuine emerging safety question for diabetic wound use, "Limited-Moderate" is the accurate, wound-type-specific rating.
Raw honey applied directly to wounds, or ingested; modern medical-grade formulations are sterilized and standardized for MGO content.